As librarians, we must always be looking out towards the future. In order to stay relevant, we must anticipate changes that are beyond the horizon. If only we had a crystal ball to enlighten us to what is going to happen. But since we don’t, we have to pay attention to upcoming trends and how they will change the library settings. As stated in Heart of Librarianship, we must always be “looking beyond our fears toward the risks and the potential for innovation” (Stephens, 2016). It can’t be easy to spot the next big innovation, technology, or development.
It is easier to look back and identify changes libraries have made in the past. One such change was the addition of digital media as an experiment to see if this was something that was going to be appreciated and utilized. It did get some backlash with folks saying “I will never give up real books.” However, as it turns out, digital media is an important part of libraries and it would be hard to visualize a library, especially an academic library, without digital books and periodicals. Adding computers and free WiFi are other changes to the library that are extremely helpful to patrons. As long as society relies on computers and WiFi, libraries will offer this resource. Another change to libraries was giving up the catalog file cabinets with index cards. I can remember when libraries had both, while they worked on switching over completely. These changes have become permanent fixtures in libraries and are not questioned today. But, what about the next big innovation that sits beyond the horizon? What will that be, and how can libraries be ready for it?
Even though I don’t have a crystal ball, I do see (maybe even expect) major changes to libraries in the future. I believe that libraries will become community centers and have much more to offer than a few programs and books. This will especially be true in rural areas where resources are scarce. Imagine a library that offers music classes in a community that does not have music lessons available. What about exercise classes? If none are available, why not offer that in the library? Art lessons? Cooking classes? Dance and other performing arts? Why not?! These items, and some that we don’t even know about yet, can be fulfilled by the library. Each community will have to assess what their community needs, and incorporate that into the library’s offerings. For example, the little town that I live in has a great Community Arts Center that offers classes, exhibits, and art shows. We also have an active senior center that offers social events and healthy meals to our mature community members. Therefore, the local library here does not need to offer these items. Instead, we need to offer services that are not readily available – like for teens, or children. In order to stay relevant, we need to anticipate what is going to be needed.
I love the communities that have an entire Civil Center that offers all these services in one compound, with open areas for outdoor play as well. I think that is what libraries will be in the future. The challenge is going to be the budget. To do all this, is going to take more than the budget libraries are given at this point and we will have to convince the community of our value.
Sources
Stephens, M. (2016). The Heart of Librarianship: Attentive, Positive, and Purposeful Change.
Willits Center for the Arts (n.d.). https://www.willitscenterforthearts.org/
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